Method for producing sheet glass



Ap1s,193o. FERN'GRN :1:53:79

raE'lgloDkFoR PRODUCING SHEET GLASS' Filed Nov, 1,1924

` f/S. 20 l rmx/ENT En. Enoch TEW/Wren.

5 ATTNE-Y.:

Patented Apr. 8, 1930 IAJNI'FEDl srarlasI PATENT OFFICE ENOCH T. FERNGREN, VOF TOLEDO, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO LIIBBEY-OWENS GLASS COMPANY, 0F TOLEDO, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO i METHOD FOR PRODUCING- SHEET GLASS Application led November 1, 1924. Serial No. 747,384.

This invention relates to a method and ap.- paratus'for producing sheet glass, and has particular reference to a sheet of glass which is formed by pressing between two members.

An important object of this invention is to produce a sheet of. glass in this manner wherein a quantity of molten glass is pressed into sheet form after which it is fire-polished to make the said sheet usable for plate glass A further object of 'this invention is to produce a sheet of glass in this manner whereina quantityof molten glass is pressed into sheet form after which the sheet is alternately heated on one side and cooled on the` other to give a finished sheet having a firepolished surface which is suitable for plate glass uses.

Still another object of the inventionis to 2o produce a sheet of glass in thismanner where in a quantity of molten glass is pressed between surfaces of preferably non-corrosive alloy memberst-o form a flat sheet which may be vertically run through a suitable chamber to {irepolish first one side and then the other to give a sheet having lire-polished surfaces.

Other objects and advantages of the i n through a slightly modified form of mechanism, l y

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the fire-polishing chamber,

Fig.6 is an elevation showing the removal of the sheet from its mold, and

Fig. 7 is a transverse vertical section through the annealing leer. v

In the drawings wherein for the purposes of illustration is shown the preferred em- Fig. 4 is av vertical longitudinal section Vthe fact-that the sheet is freely suspended bodiment of the invention, the numeral 10 designates a mold which is preferably formed from a non-corresive alloy such as nichrome, stellite, monel and other similar materials. The mold is provided with a highly polished 5 face 11 and is adapted to receive a quantity of molten glass 12 which may be fedwitliin l the mold or upon the surface l1 in any manner-such as by pouring, spreading or dropping. The mold is preferably carried at one end by means of the pin 13 on a l truck or movable support 14 having the wheels 15 for running on' rails or tracks 16.' The truck 14 is adapted to be run on rails 16 and has communication with a box 17 having a platform 18 for contact with the lower face of the sup- -port 14, as is clearly shown in Fig. 3. Ar-

ranged above the box 17 is aV pivoted pressure member 19 which may be operated by'any means suitable to give the desired pressure to "0 quickly flatten the iuent quantity of glass .12 into a sheet20 as indicated in Figf2, The .end of the mold lOis groovedasat 21-to produce a bead or edge 22 on the pressed sheet asshown in Fig. 2, After the molten glass has been pressedinto a flat sheet of plastic consistency, the presser member or plunger 19 may b e removed-or taken out of contact with the sheet while themold andsupport 14 may be wheeled away and the sheet 20 removed therefrom as shown in Fig. 6. As is shown the mold section 10 is elevated preferably to a verticalv position, so that ltongs or suitable -gripping means 23 may be engaged with the ,v edge 22 on the sheet whereby the sheet may be supported in a vertical position. The tongs or gripping means 23 are suspended from a carriage 24 movable on a rail 25 through the medium of rollers 26.

After the glass has been pressed into sheetform itis run through a heated chamber in which are movable heat applying means for the purpose of lire-polishing the sheet lirst on one side and then on the other. Due to in a vertical position within a heat retaining chamber, there will be no tendency for warping or the creation of waves throughout the sheet. In other words, the .natural weight of the sheet, due to its vertical suspension, will be sufficient to hold its tenacious body taut, thus making it possible to fire-polish the sheet Without injuring the uniformity of thickness or flatness. As is shown 'in Fig. 5, the sheet 20, When in fire-polishing position Withinthe chamber, is heated on one side at a time by means of burners 27 which may be moved up and down by an arrangement 28,.

whereby one entire side of the sheet may be fire-polished. To prevent breaking down of the sheet and to aid in maintaining the sheet in fiat formation the side opposite to that Wh'ich is being fire-polished may be prevented from heating or breaking down by the cooling means 29 which is movable by the same means 28. After one sid'e of 'the sheet has been fire-polished it may be moved along to the next pair of heating and cooling means so that'the opposite side may be fire-polished.

In this manner one side of the as yet pliant sheet can be fire-polished While the other side Y is maintained in a condition to prevent the .sheet from thinning out due to the heat applied during the-repolishing operation. It is-to be borne in mind that the fire-polishing is accomplished by the high heat efficiency of an intense fiame which is moved fairly rapidly across the surface of the sheet, thus removing any surface irregularities Which may be present after the pressing operation.Y

After the sheet has passed through the repolishing chamber it is run through an anas much pressure as in the first instance, nor

will there be any possibility for air pockets or the like becoming trapped during the pressing operation'.

By forming a sheet of glass in accordance with the means above described, it is possible to produce sheets of plate glass more quickly and economically than has been possible in the past dueto the fact that the expensive and laborious grinding and polishing operations have been entirely obviated and substituted for by a simple and quick fire-polishing process. The reason that the fire-polishing is sufficient to produce the desired type of plate glass is that the surface formed on the glass sheet 20 in the mold needs only a slight polishing Which can be accomplished by the iire-polishing to give the desired finished effect. The blank form made in the mold is not to be compared in any Way With the blanks heretofore used in the manufacture of pla-te glass, as the blank formed in the present invention is perfectly flat and smooth which is not true of the old prior art blanks used for plate glass purposes.

lt is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as the preferred embodiment of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to Without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

' Claims:

l. The process of producing sheet glass, consisting in pressing a quantity of glass into sheet form, then placing the sheet in a vertical plane, and simultaneously moving a firepolishing means and a cooling means in proximity thereto.

2. The process of producing sheet glass, consisting in pressing a quantity of glass into sheet form, and then simultaneously moving a fire-polishinghmeans and a cooling means in proximity thereto.

3. rThe' process of producing sheet glass, consisting in pressing a quantity of glass into sheet form, and then simultaneously moving 4a fire-polishingl means and a cooling means in proximity thereto and on opposite sides of said sheet.

4. The process of producing sheet glass,

ENOCH T. FERNGREN. 

